Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth never has been a person who has displayed much self-control.

Not when he fought a teammate during his sophomore season at Tennessee, left the field and returned with a pole looking to attack tackle Will Ofenheusle before coach Phillip Fulmer intervened.

Not when he kicked former Titans teammate Justin Hartwig in the chest during a training camp drill in 2003.

Not when he allegedly tried to run two people off the road with his Ford F-650 pickup last May. For some reason, road rage charges in that case were eventually dropped.

And not when he stomped his cleated shoe into the helmet-less face of Cowboys center Andre Gurode last week during a loss to Dallas, leaving Gurode with blurred vision and gashes that required 30 stitches to close

In the NFL, violence is an every day reality. But it is intended to be bottled up and controlled, not spewed all over the place like the contents of a shaken can of soda.

Has something been shaken loose in Haynesworth's brain? You have to wonder.

This is a talented player whose draft stock fell in 2002 because NFL teams had serious concerns about his temper and maturity. Now, there's no question.

The repercussions were swift: Titans coach Jeff Fisher denounced Haynesworth's actions, Haynesworth apologized profusely afterward (right, big fella), and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended the Tennessee starter for five games, the longest punishment for an on-field infraction in the history of the NFL.

Even the NFL Players Association says it won't appeal the five-game suspension.

Was the five-game sit-down long enough? No way.

If Ricky Williams can be banished from the NFL for an entire year because he repeatedly smoked marijuana, then why should Haynesworth -- who committed an act that can only be described as criminal assault and battery -- be allowed back on the field in 2006?

Why is he even being allowed on the field at all?

The NFL tries to get real tough with players who violate its substance abuse policy, in part, because it wants to set an example for young people.

Want to bet a kid will eventually emulate Haynesworth's head stomp during a Pop Warner game? It's inevitable. The barbaric scene was played out over and over on television, and some 12-year-old is bound to blur the line between Madden NFL 07 and Grand Theft Auto, the Series.

Players understand the code: You can knock someone into the dirt when the whistle blows. That's football. In the pile, hand-to-hand combat isn't uncommon but it's out of view of the officials -- and more important, the kids who watch. That's football.

So what crosses the line? Maiming a fellow player by driving your shoe into his face? That's what Haynesworth did when he lost his mind on the field in Nashville last week.

Punching a teammate in the eye with such force that his facial bones are shattered? That's what Bill Romanowski did in 2003 when he sucker-punched former Raiders teammate Marcus Williams.

Witnesses on the practice field that day described a nauseating crunching sound when Romanowski tore off Williams' helmet and nailed him with a right uppercut.

What precipitated such a vicious act?

Romo said Williams had held him during a drill.

That 2003 incident stands out because Williams did something about it. He hired an attorney, filed a personal injury lawsuit against Romanowski and the case went to trial.

Williams' attorneys tried to portray Romanowski's attack as "roid rage," but the judge in the case would not allow it, saying there was no evidence introduced that proved the former Pro Bowl linebacker was on steroids the day of the incident.

In the end, the Alameda County jury determined Romanowski's actions didn't violate the NFL's so-called "code" and awarded Williams $340,000 in damages, much less than he sought.

While Williams was viewed in some circles as money grubbing for pursuing the case, he had every right to do so.

In 1973, Bengals running back Boobie Clark struck Broncos safety Dale Hackbart on the back of his head with a forearm, causing a neck fracture that ended Hackbart's career.

Hackbart filed suit. The case, after bouncing around the courts for a few years, resulted in a 1979 ruling, "Hackbart v. Cincinnati Bengals, Inc." It became the precedent setting case that allows NFL players to sue other players for intentional infliction of injury.

An appeals court ruled that if reasonable boundaries are crossed (i.e, NFL rules that prohibit blows to the face, for example), an injured player can seek damages under tort law.

Gurode should have pursued criminal and civil charges against Haynesworth, and set the bar even higher. None of us should ever have to watch that kind of thing on a football field ever again.

Moss should pipe down and play: Raiders malcontents have been a locker room staple the past few seasons. Cornerback Charles Woodson, despite his millions earned as the team's franchise player, openly called out former coach Bill Callahan and questioned his leadership. Heck, Woodson questioned everyone's leadership.

These days, wide receiver Randy Moss -- another guy who makes millions off of the Raiders -- is doing the same thing. Difference is, Moss spouts off weekly on a Fox Sports Radio show, in an interview setting that he controls, rather than standing up and backing his strong comments in a give-and-take locker-room setting.

Woodson wasn't afraid to speak up in public and he wasn't afraid to respond when reporters asked him for specifics. The same goes for LaMont Jordan.

Moss, a Raiders captain, speaks cryptically and only to select outlets, like he did this week. "I don't really want to single players out. I mean, I don't really know what the feeling is. But I know the feeling is bad, so that's saying no one cares about what's going on around here."

What does that mean?

He's implied he wants a trade. So does Jerry Porter. A lot of guys probably do, too.

Unless some desperate team offers Al Davis a starter (say, a quarterback?) a first-rounder and cash, it isn't happening, Randy. So pipe down and concentrate on playing hard for a change.

Try being relevant, not irreverent.

T.O. wants sympathy: For a guy who accidentally mixed supplements and pain pills last week yet vehemently denied he is depressed, Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens is coming across as a pretty wounded soul.

He already has expressed regret that his former fiancé, Felisha Terrell -- who dumped whom, and when, remains unclear -- didn't call him after he was released from a Dallas hospital following his overdose of, well, something.

T.O. told Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver he was "hurt" that his former girl didn't call or visit in the days following his release from the emergency room.

"Her not reaching out to me really hit home," Owens told Silver.

This week, Owens is miffed that his former Eagles teammate, Donovan McNabb, claims he sent a "get well" text message. McNabb told Dallas writers in their weekly NFL conference call that his message to Owens was, in part, to "let him know I was thinking about him, praying for him."

Owens said he never received the message. Maybe McNabb sent it to an old number?

"Look, I'm not trying to start anything. He's a smart guy. If he wanted my number, he could have gotten it," Owens said.

Today in Philly, Owens should give McNabb the correct number in person, so this kind of unfortunate social faux-pas doesn't happen again.

Five numbers:

1: The number of touchdowns the Broncos' defense has allowed in its first three games.

2: Games in Week Four that had six lead changes (Colts-Jets, Lions-Rams).

11: The number of consecutive home victories by the Broncos, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL.

14: Total points the Vikings' four games have been decided by.

18: The record for fewest touchdowns allowed by a team in a 16-game season (Ravens in 2000).

Hot, or not?

Sizzling

RB Laurence Maroney, Patriots: Rookie rushed for a game-high 125 yards and two TDs last week against the Bengals.

QB David Carr, Texans: Don't look now, but Carr leads the NFL with a 108.9 passer rating; his seven TDs and two INTs indicate he's developing chemistry with his receivers.

WR Randy Moss, Raiders: One catch for 5 yards last week (yeah, it was a TD), but Moss hasn't even eclipsed 100 yards receiving for the season yet.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Looks nervous in the pocket and has tossed five INTs and no TDs in two outings. But the Steelers faithful don't expect that 34.3 passer rating to last.

RB Ron Dayne, Texans: He's the best back in Houston, but that's not saying much - Dayne has 153 rushing yards and no TDs in four games.

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